Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Lions Haven For The Aged is 3.78 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 221 vs 215 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Sources and Explanation
This is a programmatic interpretation of published data, not an in-person inspection or a separate expert-assigned score. The figures are the Elderberry Index and its four government component ratings; a measure the home has no published rating for is left out. Our rating methodology.
Ratings: August 2026. Survey comparisons: 2025 interview responses from that extract. Other Australian homes in the same ratings extract; survey comparisons also require the same interview year. Each eligible home has equal weight; missing/invalid values excluded. These are descriptive comparisons, not resident-weighted or adjusted for differences in care needs.
How findings are selected
Survey gaps of at least 3 percentage points, rating gaps of at least 0.3 stars, and changes of at least 10 percentage points can qualify. These are editorial selection thresholds, not tests of statistical significance. Benchmarks need at least 30 homes. Each side shows up to three eligible findings; missing values never become negative findings. Specific combined food evidence and sustained care-target results are prioritised, then larger differences. Respect and caring are grouped when both qualify.
Food spending uses the My Aged Care sector median for Jan–Mar 2026; resident enjoyment comes from the 2025 survey. The combined finding reports two separate observations from different reporting periods; it does not establish that spending caused the survey result. Year-to-year survey samples may differ and respondent counts are unavailable. Care consistency uses the latest four submitted, quality-checked care-minute records and direct RN minutes without EN top-up.
A lower compliance rating is a comparison with other homes, not a claim of an active sanction. Higher expenditure alone is not treated as better care. Unadjusted clinical incident measures are not used to rank quality here.
My Aged Care home profile · Government Star Ratings extract
Benchmark populations
| Measure | Mean | Other homes |
|---|---|---|
| Elderberry Index | 3.81 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Lions Haven For The Aged provide?
In January to March 2026, Lions Haven For The Aged reported 221 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes above its target of 215 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Lions Haven For The Aged met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 235.
Who provides that care?
Of the 221 minutes, personal care workers provided 162 (73.3%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 19.0%) and enrolled nurses (17 minutes, 7.7%). Lions Haven For The Aged also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Lions Haven For The Aged?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 100% of residents surveyed at Lions Haven For The Aged answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 18.2 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (96% against 88.6%) and whether they get the care they need (101% against 94.5%).
At Lions Haven For The Aged, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Lions Haven For The Aged were asked whether they feel safe, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Lions Haven For The Aged was 96% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Lions Haven For The Aged?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 67% of residents surveyed at Lions Haven For The Aged said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 3.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share was also 67% in 2024. Another 29% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Food spending at Lions Haven For The Aged in January to March 2026 was $18 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Lions Haven For The Aged reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Lions Haven For The Aged reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
67% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Lions Haven For The Aged spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Lions Haven For The Aged spent $441.03 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $267.90 was 1% above the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($55.72), accommodation and maintenance ($37.28), and cleaning and laundry ($29.68) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($149.18) and registered nurses ($63.02).
